CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Penn State baseball team dropped a 10-4 decision at Virginia on Saturday afternoon at Disharoon Park. Kyle Hannon led the Nittany Lions with three hits, including a double. Penn State is 3-6 overall, while Virginia, ranked No. 5 in the country by Baseball America, moved to 10-0.
Kellan Tulio got the start for the Nittany Lions, going 1.1 innings. He was charged with four runs on one hit. Tulio struck out two and walked four batters. Jaden Henline entered with one out in the second. He went 2.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Chad Rogers took over on the mound in the fifth, pitching two scoreless innings. Rogers allowed one hit and one walk, while striking out one. Ryan Partridge entered the game in the seventh, throwing one inning. Partridge gave up two runs on one hit and a walk. Anthony Steele, who started as the DH, pitched a scoreless eighth, while striking out two and walking two.
Brian Gurksy started on the mound for UVA, who threw 5.1 innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking one. Dylan Bowers took over with one out in the sixth, throwing two innings. He allowed two runs on four hits. Matthew Buchanan entered with one out in the eighth and finished the final 1.2 innings, striking out two.
Kyle Hannon led the Penn State offense, going three-for-three with a double and a run. Tayven Kelley drove in two runs and collected two hits. Cole Bartels recorded two hits and an RBI.
Kyle Teel went three-for-four at the plate with four RBI, including three on a homer in the second. Griff O'Farrell drove in two runs and crossed the plate three times.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the top of the first. With one out, Bartels singled up the middle. Matt Wood followed with a walk. Two batters later, Hannon dropped a bloop single into left to drive in Bartels.
Virginia tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half. With runners on the corners, a grounder by Jake Gelof resulted in a fielder's choice but allowed O'Ferrall to cross the plate.
The Cavaliers plated five runs in the second. With the bases loaded, O'Ferrall sent a ground ball through the left side to bring home Casey Saucke and Ethan Anderson. The next batter, Teel, sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in right for a three-run homer. UVA led 6-1 after two.
Virginia added two runs in the fourth. With a runner at second, a grounder by O'Ferrall was misplayed and ended up in the outfield, allowing Max Cotier to score. Teel followed with a single to right to drive in O'Ferrall. The Cavaliers led 8-1 after four.
Penn State got a run across in the fifth. The inning started with back-to-back singles by Kelley and Steele. With two outs, Bartels sent a single to right to allow Kelley to come home. Penn State trailed 8-2 after five.
Virginia added two runs in the seventh. With the bases loaded, a grounder by Anderson was misplayed and Alex Tappen crossed the plate. Cotier followed with a sac fly to left to score Chris Newell from third. Virginia led 10-2 after seven.
Penn State scored two runs in the eighth. Wood led off the inning with a double to the warning track in left. Hannon was hit by a pitch and Billy Gerlott reached on an infield single to load the bases. Kelley sent a soft line drive to the gap in left to bring home Wood and Hannon. The threat continued when runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch, but a strikeout and a foul out ended the inning. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-4 after the top of the eighth.
The series concludes on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch, broadcasted on ACCNX.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Tayven Kelley